CVE-2025-28975 is a high-severity reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in the WordPress plugin 'Alike - WordPress Custom Post Comparison' developed by redqteam. This vulnerability arises due to improper neutralization of user-supplied input during web page generation, classified under CWE-79. Specifically, the plugin fails to adequately sanitize or encode input parameters before reflecting them in the generated web pages, allowing an attacker to inject malicious scripts. When a victim visits a crafted URL containing the malicious payload, the injected script executes in the victim's browser context. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.1, reflecting a network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), but requiring user interaction (UI:R). The scope is changed (S:C), indicating that exploitation can affect resources beyond the vulnerable component. The impact affects confidentiality, integrity, and availability at a low level each (C:L/I:L/A:L), meaning the attacker can potentially steal sensitive information, manipulate data, or disrupt service to some extent. The vulnerability affects all versions of the plugin up to 3.0.1. No patches or known exploits in the wild have been reported yet. Given the plugin's role in comparing WordPress custom posts, it is likely used on content-heavy websites that rely on post comparisons, such as review sites, e-commerce, or blogs. Exploitation could lead to session hijacking, defacement, or redirection to malicious sites, impacting user trust and site integrity.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be significant, especially for those relying on WordPress websites with the Alike plugin installed. The reflected XSS can be exploited to steal user credentials, session cookies, or perform actions on behalf of users, leading to data breaches or unauthorized transactions. This can result in reputational damage, regulatory penalties under GDPR due to compromised personal data, and potential financial losses. Organizations in sectors such as e-commerce, media, and public services that use WordPress extensively are at higher risk. Additionally, the vulnerability could be leveraged as an initial attack vector to deploy further malware or conduct phishing campaigns targeting European users. The requirement for user interaction means phishing or social engineering tactics may be employed, which are common and effective. The scope change indicates that the impact could extend beyond the plugin itself, potentially affecting other components or user sessions. Given the widespread use of WordPress in Europe and the popularity of plugins for content management, the threat is relevant and should be addressed promptly.

1. Immediate mitigation involves updating the Alike - WordPress Custom Post Comparison plugin to a patched version once available from the vendor. Since no patch links are currently provided, organizations should monitor vendor announcements closely. 2. Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block reflected XSS payloads targeting the affected plugin parameters. Custom rules can be created based on known attack patterns. 3. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts in browsers, reducing the impact of XSS exploitation. 4. Conduct input validation and output encoding on all user-supplied data within the website codebase, especially if custom modifications or integrations with the plugin exist. 5. Educate users and administrators about phishing risks and suspicious links to reduce the likelihood of successful user interaction exploitation. 6. Regularly scan websites with automated tools for XSS vulnerabilities and monitor logs for suspicious activities. 7. Consider temporarily disabling or removing the plugin if immediate patching is not feasible and the plugin is not critical to operations.